Snap action valve mechanism for reciprocating pistons



Jan. 27, 1953 R. E. MEYga 2,626,527

SNAP AcnoN VALVE MECHANISM FOR RECIPRQQATING PIsToNs Filed Dec. 15, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 l il, .l,

l 2.9 L Ewa* lax/MQW TTF/VEY Jan. 27, 1953 l R. E. MEYERS I 2,626,527

SNAP ACTION vVALVE MECHANISM FORRECIPROCATING PIsToNs Filed Dec. 15, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Jan. 27, 1953.

`UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SNAP AofrioN' 'VALVE MoHANIsM Fon RECIPROCATING PIS'IONS` l Robert E."Me'yers,S`outh Bend,Ind., as's'ignorvtc Bendix Aviation'Corporation, South Bend, Ind.,

acorporation-,of Delaware .Aeinication December 15, 194s, serial No. 65,443

`4 Claims.

AThis invention vrelatesto an actuating mechanism for a valve which is used to control the 'ow of iluidV to a'fluid operated motor.

` -An object of the invention is toprovide a novel mechanism vto beoperatedby the Vpiston -at the endof its stroke-for 'reversing the application of fluid'to a -iiuid motor. y

*Another -object-'of the invention lresides in the provision of a-valveactuating mechanism which receives its actuatingiforce from springs.

The above and other objectsA and features of the invention Wi1l-be apparent from rthe following description of the apparatusltaken in connection with theaccompanying'drawingswhich form-a part of this specication andinwhich:

' Figure l is a vievv in section ofA a` windshield Wiper -motor mechanism incorporating the apparatus of' the invention;

4Figure 2 is aview in section `taken on theflines Z-LLZofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in section takenisubstantially on the lines3-3o'f Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a View in sectiontaken'substantially on the lines 4-4 of Figure 1;'and y l Figures 5 and 6 'are views of the iactuating mechanism of the invention shown "in different positions of operation. Y

Referring now'to the drawings andfm'ore partic'ula'rly 'to Figure l the reference numeral I0 designates a fluid motor mechanism Acomprising a housing' I2 provided with parallel bores I4v and' I6. The' bore I4 receives a slidable'spool valvev I8, and the bore'l is formedt'o accommodate a pisf ton 2D with which a gear rack 24 is integral.

B'ore's I4 andl6 are'provi'ded Withchambers'36 and 3B respectively located intermediate theends of the bores. Chamber 38 extends throughpartiton 26 and is constructed and arranged toreceive a shaft 29 disposed at right angles to the piston. The shaft is supportedato'ne end by bearing`3ll and at its opposite end by an end plate 3l retained within the vhousing I2 'by a split washer 32 which fits intoV anv angularrecess 33 of the'housing. A seal 21 is pressed into the end plate 3| concentric with one end of shaft/29 to thereby seal chamber V36 from atmosphere, and a seal 28 is pressed into the housing I2 concentric with the other end of the shaft 29 so as to seal chamber 38 from atmosphere. The shaft 29 is equipped with a gear sector 34 arranged in meshing relationship to said rack. The gear sector is xedly secured to the shaft by a key35 and a set screwV II.- The gear sector is" held in meshing engagement with the' rack' by 'a cupped washer'2l and a' .triangularly'shaped split ring 23 which' has 2 its apicesin engagement :with an angular recess 25 located in the housing I2. Chamber 36 houses a valve actuating mechanism 46. The spool valve IB is provided with lands 42 and 44 at its ends for controllingcommunication between the ends of the bore I6 and a fluid pressure source, not shown, andan outlet opening 46 communicating with chamber 36. The lands 42 and 44 are machined and then lappedto slidably fit intosleeves 50 and 52 respectively which are pressed into the bore I4. These sleeves are formed with circumferential external grooves 54 and 56 having radial passages58 and 66 respectively for communicating the interior of the sleeves with said external grooves. Passages-62 and'64 connect the external grooves 54 and 56 respectively-cf sleeves 42 and 44 with the ends' of the bore I6. Except for these passages the ends of borel 6 are closed. Each end of bore I6 is equipped with an end member 63 removable for the insertion of the pis-ton 23. These end members are constructed and arranged to seal the ends of the bore from leakage to atmosphere. Sealing rings are carried'by the ends of piston 20 to prevent leakage from the ends-of -theborel to chamber 38. The spool valve vI8 is reduced in diameter or necked down at 66' and 68 rto permit the free passage of fluid to chamber 36 via the space between the interior of thesleeves and the spool valve. The right end of-lbore I4 is furnished Witha closure member 61. The-left end of thebore I4 is equipped with a threaded port 69, adapted to be connected to a fluid'pressure source, not shown. With the spool valve'in the position shown in Figures 2 and 4 fluid Willflow freely from the right end of bore f6'thr'uv passage-64, into external groove 56 of the sleeve y44 through the radial passages 6B, into the space between the reduced diameter 68 of the spool lvalve and the `interior of the sleeve, and thence to chamber 36. With the spool valve shifted to the left, so that the land 42 is to the left of vradial passage 58 in sleeve 5D, fluid will pass freely from the left end of bore I6 through passage 62', exterior groove'54, radial passages 58, into the space between the reduced diameter 66 ofthe spool valve and the sleeve, and thence to the chamber 36. The spool valve is provided with aH longitudinal bore 10 for communicating the right end' of the bore I4 with the left end.

vTo shift thespool valve i8 at the proper time, to thereby reverse the application of fluid under pressure to the piston, the valve actuating mechanism'4 is provided. This mechanism comprises an ractuating lever l2 pivotally carried inthe chamber A'36 yby `a pin'14mounted in the' housing I 2. The free end of the actuating lever is formed with a depending portion 16 which engages with shoulders 18 and 80 of the spool valve. A yoke 8l is also pivotally carried by the pin 14. The yoke is arranged to be rotated relative to the actuating lever 12. The yoke is formed with a center linger 82 and oppositely extending arms 84 and 86. Two coil springs 88 are provided, and each is carried at one end by the arms 84 and 86 respectively, with the other ends of the springs fastened to the actuating lever 12. This connection between the yoke and actuating lever provides a yieldable driving connection between these two members. An interlock actuator or coupling 90 is securely fastened to the shaft 29 for rotating the yoke 8| against the action of the springs 88 to thereby build up a force in said springs for rotating said actuating lever. This interlock coupling also serves to control the action of the actuating lever 12 to thereby control the position of the spool valve at the end of each piston stroke. The interlock coupling 90 is formed with circumferential axial extending anges 92 and 94 which cooperate with lugs 96 and 98 carried by the actuating lever, to thereby prevent rotation of the actuating lever and hence movement of the spool valve until the piston has traveled to the end of its stroke. Figures 2 and 4 show the position of the spool valve after the actuating lever 12 has been rotated counterclockwise under the influence of the spring 88, on the right. It will be noted that it is not until the flange 92 has rotated clockwise beyond the lug 96 that the actuating lever will be allowed to swing to the right or counterclockwise under the influence of the spring 88. Clockwise motion of the shaft 29 rotates the llange 92 into engagement with the center nger 82 and counterclockwise motion of the sha-ft rotates the ange 94 into engagement with the nger 82 of the yoke. As shown the spool valve will admit fluid to the left end of the bore I6 to thereby tend to urge the piston to the right which will cause shaft 29 to rotate counterclockwise. Flange y941 of the interlock coupling will now be moved into engagement with the nger 82 so as to tend to swing the yoke and actuating lever to the left or clockwise. However, only the yoke can be swung to the left at this time, that is, during the initial engagement between the flange 94 and linger 82, the actuating lever cannot swing to the left since the lug 98 is riding against the outer side of the vflange 94, as best shown in Figures and 6. During the time that the lug 98 is riding against flange 94, ilange 92 is moving behind the lug 96 and out of contact therewith. Continued rotation of the yoke under the driving action of the interlock coupling will stretch the spring 88 on the left. This spring will continue to stretch, that is, be put under tension until the interlock coupling has rotated counterclockwise to a position where the lug 98 no longer rides on the flange 94, at which time the actuating lever will be shifted to the left under the influence of the spring which is located on the left side. This movement of the actuating lever slides the spool valve to the left so that the right end of bore I6 will be connected to the inlet port. y At this time the piston is to the right end of the bore I6, which bore is now connected to the inlet at its right end and to the outlet port at its left end for movement of the piston to the left end of the bore I8, to thereby complete a cycle. The flange 92 and lug 96 cooperate during movement of the piston to the left, so as to defer shifting of the spool valve, in the same manner that the ange 94 and lug 98 cooperate when the piston is being moved 'to the right as aforementioned.

Although the invention has been described in connection with certain specic embodiments, the principles are susceptible of numerous other applications that will readily occur to persons skilled in the art.

Having thus described the various features of the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersgPatent is:

1. A valve actuating mechanism comprising a valve member to be actuated, a rotatable element, an actuating lever pivotally supported at one end `with the other end operatively connected to the valve member, a yoke member pivotally carried about the same axis as the actuating lever and relatively movable with respect thereto, said yoke member being provided with oppositely extending arms and a depending member located intermediate said arms, a spring interconnecting each of the arms to said actuating lever, and a coupling device carried by the rotatable element and constructed and arranged for engagement with said depending member for imparting rotation to said yoke, said device being equipped with means for engaging said actuating lever for holding the same against rotation until said rotatable element has rotated a predetermined distance, at which time said actuating lever is disengaged for moving said valve member.

2. A valve actuating mechanism comprising a valve member to be actuated, a rotatable element, an actuating .lever pivotally supported at one end with the other end operatively connected to the valve member, a yoke member pivotally carried about the same axis as the actuating levei and relatively movable with respect thereto, two springs, one on each side of the pivotal axis of said yoke and actuating lever and connecting the latter to the former, a nger carried by the yoke member, and a coupling device carried by the rotatable element and constructed and arranged for Vengagement with said linger for imparting rotation to said yoke, said coupling device` being equipped with means for engaging said actuating lever for holding the same against rotation until said rotatable element has rotated a predetermined distance, at which time said actuating lever is disengaged for moving said valve member.

3. A valve actuating mechanism comprising a valve member to be actuated, a rotatable element, an actuating lever pivotally supported at one end with the other endoperatively connected to the valve member, a yoke member pivotally carried about the same axis as the actuating lever and relatively movable with respect thereto, means connecting the yoke member to the actuating lever on each side of the pivotal axis of said yoke and actuating lever to provide a yieldable driving connection therebetween, a nger carried bythe yokemember, and an interlock actuator carried by the rotatable element and constructed and arranged for engagement with said linger for imparting rotation to said yoke, said interlock actuator vbeing equipped with means for engaging said actuating lever for holding the same against rotation until the rotatable element has rotated a predetermined distance, at which time said actuating lever is disengaged for moving said valve member under the iniluence of the yieldable means.

4. A valve actuating mechanism comprising ya valve part to be actuated, a rotatable element, two relatively movable members pivotally carried about the same axis and interconnected by yieldable means, and a coupling device carried by the rotatable element and formed with oppositely disposed circumferential edges, one of said members being formed with a nger for engagement by said device when the rotatable element is rotated in either direction, the other of said movable members being operatively connected to the valve part, said other member being provided with lugs which ride on one or the other of said edges depending on the direction of rotation of said rotatable element to defer rotation of said 6 other member until said rotatable element has rotated a predetermined distance.

ROBERT E. MEYERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,332,664 Orshansky et al Oct. 26, 1943 2,404,315 Rotter et a1 July 16, 1946 

